Feel the Boot 53. Virtual Pitching and Fundraising Over Zoom, What Founders Need to Know
At one time, almost all startup fundraising happened in person. Investors wanted to see the founders face-to-face to get a read on their passion, intensity, and integrity. With COVID, all that changed, and the industry quickly pivoted to conduct virtually all pitching and investing over video conferences, mostly Zoom. I don’t think we will ever go back to pitching entirely in person, so mastering remote fundraising is critical.
A comment by Munly Leong on an earlier video prompted me to create this episode. He asked how he could find angels and VCs making investments using 100% virtual and remote processes. Before addressing the general advantages, disadvantages, and key tips for virtual pitching, I address his question specifically.
0:00 How Virtual Pitching Changes Startup Fundraising
2:36 Finding people willing to invest 100% virtually
5:16 Finding investors for companies outside North America and Europe
8:55 Upsides and downsides to virtual fundraising
10:43 Pre-screening matters more
12:37 The pitch is everything
13:51 Present, Converse, Demo
16:29 Improve your A/V setup
19:37 Watch your audience
24:27 Virtual pitching not so different
I would love to hear about your experiences with online fundraising. Please let me know what you have seen, or any great stories, in the comments below.
Till next time, Caio!
Resources
Websites with Lists of angel investment groups and seed funds
https://www.angelcapitalassociation.org/
Referenced Episodes
Why you need Two Pitch Decks: https://ftb.bz/5B
Five Step Pitch Deck Process: https://ftb.bz/33B
Slow Down While Pitching: https://ftb.bz/52B
Why Angels Demand 20X returns: https://ftb.bz/3B
Build a strong foundation by testing assumptions first: https://ftb.bz/21B